What is a Fractional CPO (Chief People Officer)?
A Fractional Chief People Officer is an experienced HR executive who works part-time across multiple organisations, providing strategic people leadership covering talent, culture, and organisational development.
The Fractional CPO Role
Fractional CPOs typically work 1-3 days per week, providing senior people leadership for companies navigating growth, transformation, or cultural change without the £200-300k cost of a permanent people executive.
Key CPO Responsibilities
People Strategy: Align talent plans with business growth objectives
Culture: Design and embed values-driven, high-performance cultures
Talent Acquisition: Employer brand, recruitment strategy, and hiring processes
Organisation Design: Team structure, levels, and career frameworks
Employee Experience: Engagement, wellbeing, and retention programmes
Who Needs a Fractional CPO?
Scale-ups growing from 50-500 employees needing people infrastructure
Companies undergoing cultural transformation or values redesign
Organisations restructuring, merging, or going through TUPE transfers
Businesses preparing for IPO or investor due diligence on people
